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5 OF THE BEST ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS FROM CANNES LIONS 2018

by Renee Vaughan Sutherland06/07/2018

Back in June, the eyes of the advertising world were set on Cannes. Big brands and agencies flocked to the French Riviera, dreaming of walking away with a much-coveted Cannes Lion, (an award celebrating the best of the best in advertising). A couple of weeks later and we’ve finally had a chance to catch up on all the winners and the talks. We were in awe of the fantastic ideas and powerful messages that the Cannes Lions 2018 shortlist delivered. Out the 27 Grand Prix winners, here’s our top five examples of advertising done right:

1. USE TECHNOLOGY: RECLAME AQUI – CORRUPTION DETECTOR

The battle between fake news and the truth continues to rage, often leaving us unsure of which news or social channel to trust. In this unnerving age of uncertainty, we must not only be wary of what we’re being told, but also of who is doing the telling, especially when it comes to politicians. In an attempt to tackle corruption in the Brazilian political system, Reclame Aqui created an app and gave voters the power to see through bias and spin. The app exposed the past deeds of candidates simply by scanning an image of their face, giving users a better picture of who they were voting for. It feels like this tool might be useful during any election…

2. BE BOLD: ESSITY – BLOOD NORMAL

Empathy not shame! Is there a more powerful message for any brand to run with? With Bloodnormal, Essity nailed it. In an overdue and epic campaign, Essity – the group behind Bodyform – confronted cultural taboos built up around periods. It exposes dissenters, challenges harmful practices, and draws attention to the bizarre lengths advertising (and society) go to in order to pretend periods don’t exist. By tearing down the veil of euphemisms that usually hide menstruation from sensitive eyes, Essity’s campaign blew the lid on the fact that the advertising is part of the problem. The campaign created controversy and used that to fuel this important conversation.

3. BEND THE RULES: AB INBEV – TAGWORDS

This cheeky campaign made us smile. AB InBev wanted to promote Budweiser’s long ‘partnership’ with the world’s biggest music legends, however the cost of the royalties to do so was holding them back. They came up with the clever way to run a ‘text only’ campaign that provided their audience with instructions to find the evidence themselves on Google Images. The ingenuity in exploiting such a simple loophole no doubt had plenty of lawyers scratching their heads and asking, “can they do that?” For its audacity alone, this campaign made our list.

4. THINK SIMPLE: ITC FOODS – HEALTHY HANDS CHALK STICKS

This simple and straightforward campaign from ITC Foods that is going to make worlds of difference (and put a lump in our throats). Over a thousand children die every day in India because they don’t wash their hands with soap. So far, educating children and their families on the importance of good hand hygiene hasn’t changed behaviours quickly enough. The idea to mix soap into sticks of chalk, (an item used by every schoolchild in India), is an elegant and simple solution that will save literally thousands of lives.

5. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE: NIKE – NOTHING BEATS A LONDONER

Being a London agency, this campaign from Nike, has been one of Hub’s creative team’s firm favourite for a number of months. Nike created the campaign to promote a series of free sporting events they were hosting for youths in England’s capital. It is a shining example of the importance of understanding your audience; how they talk, how they use technology, who they respect, and what they experience in their day-to-day lives. The result is a much-loved campaign that set social media on fire.

5. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE: NIKE – NOTHING BEATS A LONDONER

Being a London agency, this campaign from Nike, has been one of Hub’s creative team’s firm favourite for a number of months. Nike created the campaign to promote a series of free sporting events they were hosting for youths in England’s capital. It is a shining example of the importance of understanding your audience; how they talk, how they use technology, who they respect, and what they experience in their day-to-day lives. The result is a much-loved campaign that set social media on fire.